Something is amiss in the world of sports.

All over the country, media attention is focused on the action on the field. SportsCenter is full of game highlights and analysis. Sports Illustrated has not unveiled a shocking exposé in weeks.

Where have all the scandals gone?

Just nine months ago, all four of the major sports were embroiled in off-field issues that “threatened the integrity of the sport.” Michael Vick had just introduced the world to the “rape stand” and whipped the ASPCA into a frenzy. In the NBA, referee Tim Donaghy’s gambling scheme left the entire officiating system in jeapordy. And baseball was still cranking out its greatest hits, with Barry Bonds denying steroid use and the Mitchell Report nearing completion.

The worst of sports was on display everywhere you looked. On any given day, you could flip from legal coverage of the Vick case to the weekly ‘Roid Report.

It was a nightmare summer. It was a good time to be Skip Bayless.

The fall and winter brought more of the same. Bonds faded into the background along with his talent, but Roger Clemens stepped up gamely to take his place. Bill Belichick gave us Spy-Gate and made his Patriots the most-hated team in football.

Even the lesser-known sports were getting into the act. Tennis’ Nikolay Davydenko, the fourth-ranked player in the world, was accused of throwing a match, possibly at the behest of the Russian Mafia.

You know it’s a good scandal when the mob gets involved.

It was a banner year for the seedy side of sports. But these days? Nothing.

Vick pled out and is serving his 23-month sentence. Donaghy, too, has faded into obscurity behind bars. And after the Congressional hearing, the Clemens/McNamee/Andy Pettitte affair calmed down.

The media has panicked, jumping on any story that might be sensational. Monday, the New York Daily News reported that Clemens had an affair with country singer Mindy McCready.

Yawn.

Are we really so bereft of scandal? Has the sports world truly cleaned up that much?

With no seedy sagas to follow, the fans and media have been forced to focus on the actual games. People are talking about the NBA playoffs and the NFL draft instead of The Cream and The Clear. Fans are once again enjoying the passion, heartbreak, and triumph that made them fall in love with sports in the first place…

On second thought, maybe this isn’t so bad after all.

Sports editor Jake Simpson is a Medill junior. He can be reached at [email protected]